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I am underwhelmed as well
Well...what a HUGE disappointment all this is. Clearly the people at Delta who are so proud of this program have not tried to redeem an Award Ticket. They're stuck in the buddy pass mindset. I just booked an award ticket from ATL-MSP this weekend and it cost 52,500 miles. That is insane. I agree with a previous poster that I was drooling at the prospect of a few coupons to redeem awards at the "low" level. We have to book our award travel at the last minute which means I get killed on redemptions.
As someone who is currently at 185K MQMs, I actually think that the "new PMU" is actually far worse. Why would I spend $2K to $4k more for a ticket (YBM) vs. (LUT) and not even be guaranteed to sit in BE on a 12+ hour flight at time of purchase. I won't and can't justify it. This same day of travel upgrade thing does not work for me AT ALL. It would be one thing if it was upgradeable on all fares - but it is not. This puts me in a tough spot with my clients as there is no way I will purchase a full business fare ticket which will mean that I will be lowering my international spend with Delta in 2010. Good job guys. The other benefits are stuff I already have or I get anyway (NOT that I am not grateful for the benefits Delta offers). My company pays my SkyClub membership - so that benefit is moot for me. If I could gift SkyClub membership to my wife that would probably win some points on the home front.... What mystifies me is how bungled this whole thing has been. You announce the new 4th tier in the Delta Magazine in a message from the CEO (really, who reads the magazine in the seatback if they have other stuff to read or do) and then you announce the details at the end of July and it still seems like some things are being worked on AND the program is essentially the same as the Platinum with threshold benefits I already get. If Delta was thinking they would WOW people like me with this new announcement they will be sorely diassponted. All this being said, I did want to give Delta kudos in general. I am an Atlanta-based traveler and I believe that Delta has made great strides in terms of service and equipment. I generally have no complaints about my in-flight experience and access to domestic upgrades. All I needed were those "low award" coupons and I would have been ecstatic and don't take away benefits - allow the upgrade coupons to still work like the PMUs do as well. |
Thanks Jeff
Originally Posted by RealDLInsider
(Post 12134183)
FlyerTalkers,
It was great seeing many of you at the Road Warrior event in ATL a couple weeks ago. As I said to many of you there, we’ve worked very hard over the last 12 months to align and ultimately bring together the SkyMiles and WorldPerks programs. Our goal has been and we will continue to create the industry-leading program that you’d expect from the world’s largest airline. I hope that you will agree that these announcements align with that philosophy. There’s still work to be done and I appreciate the feedback that many of you have and continue to provide over the web and through email. Today however, marks a major step in the integration of the two programs and our airlines – as we unveil details of the 2010 Medallion program. In short, we’re keeping all the current Medallion program features, several that many of you said to leave in place, including: • Unlimited complimentary upgrades for all elites in the US48, Canada, Alaska, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and Northern South America • Priority security access, priority boarding, preferred seating and waived checked baggage charges for everyone in the elite record • Retaining of the 75,000 EQM requirement for Platinum status (I know this was a hot item of discussion and whether we would raise the threshold to align with AA and UA) • A 500-mile minimum on all flight segments for all customers • A 50% elite-qualifying and base mileage bonus on YBM coach fares • One elite-qualifying mile and base mile per mile flown on all fares in all channels And, we are permanently adding the following new benefits: • Rollover MQMs: We’ll be the first airline to allow customers to roll over any Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) earned above a Medallion threshold each calendar year to jump start your elite qualification for the following year. For example, should you earn 40,000 MQMs this calendar year, the 15,000 MQMs that exceed the Silver Medallion threshold of 25,000 MQMs, will all be rolled over and be in your elite bank on January 1st. There is no limit to the amount of rollover and this benefit is effective now. • Diamond Medallion Status: A fourth Medallion level for flyers who earn 125,000 MQMs or fly 140 segments per calendar year that will offer the richest benefits of any airline – including a popular request (bringing back complimentary lounge memberships) • No Direct Ticketing Fees: Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion members will have ticketing fees waived for all bookings. • Choice Benefits: Diamond and Platinum Medallion members will choose from a menu of benefits, including the ability to gift Medallion status, bonus miles, Delta Sky Club day passes, and new systemwide upgrade certificates (formerly PMUs) that will now be redeemable on the day of departure. • Unlimited complimentary upgrades on award tickets Since many of you asked about the systemwide upgrade certificates at the road warrior event, I thought I would share a few more specifics around these. Up through the end of this year, all Platinum Medallions will continue to receive six Platinum Medallion upgrades just as they do today – no changes. Beginning in 2010, rather than six systemwide upgrades, Platinums will now have the option of receiving four new systemwide upgrades or can choose from a set of optional benefits instead. For those current Platinum Medallions who earn the new Diamond Medallion status, in addition to the four systemwide upgrades, they will receive two additional choice-benefits including the ability to have six additional systemwide upgrades for a total of 10 systemwide upgrades. The new systemwide upgrades will still require the purchase of a YBM fare, however will become usable on the day of departure and will also become fully automated (no more paper). In essence, should a Diamond or Platinum Medallion purchase a YBM fare internationally and there are empty seats in Business Class on the day of departure, we will now upgrade them using these certificates. Further to this, since 80% of Platinum Medallions today do not use the systemwide certificates that we send out, 4 out of 5 customers will actually opt to choose other benefits – in lieu of systemwide upgrade certificates. These other benefits will include additional bonus miles, lounge passes, the ability to gift elite status to anyone else, gift cards and other soon to be announced travel related items. You can find more details delta.com/newskymiles, but I wanted to be sure you all were among the first to hear about the new program. I recognize we can’t please everyone all the time, but I hope you agree that these changes are a big step forward in making our elite program the best in the industry. We will be reading the comments on the DL forum and will do our best to answer questions that you may have as they arise. As always, thanks for your interest in and passion for the SkyMiles program. Enjoy, Jeff I'm pretty neutral on the fees since I've never had to pay them b/c i've never made last minute changes to awards or anything like that but anything that reduces fees has got to be good right? I think the only disappointment I have with the new program is that the systemwide upgrades continue to be y/b/m fares only. It seems like there is a certain segment of your client population like myself- we buy all our own fares, no employer is buying them for us- and would never likely be able to afford y/b/m tickets. Everyone was hoping the upgrades would be flexible like SWUs on your competition. I understand that with the new system you can choose another reward beside the pmus so next year unless the upgrades are broadened to more fare classes i will do just that. but for the 6 pmus I just earned, i will sadly never get to use them unless some really great y/b/m fares come along. I run a travel meetup with over 200 members. We travel almost every weekend and currently steer all my members to Delta (and purchase delta exclusively for the members whenever i'm buying fares for the group for a trip). Little by little I've been evangelizing Delta and persuading members to sign up for skymiles and was really hoping the pmus would be broadened so that I'd really be able to push the value of frequent flying with them. Best Regards, Jenni Parks [email protected] |
Originally Posted by DLfan
(Post 12134288)
Thanks for expanding on the new SWUs. It was not clear in the benefits chart that a DM would actually receive 10 of these. Good news for me...I have no problem in using all these I can get.
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New 2010 Platinum benefit -33% PMU reduction
I concur. As PMs we now have 6 PMUs but as a DM we will receive 4 SWUs and the ability to choose 6 more as an "option" for a total of "10". Its also confusing if its going to be the way it is now (domestic) to confirm at time of booking for K fare or higher.
Most of us were really hoping for an enhancement in this area! As the title says: 33& PMU reduction is NOT an enhancement.:confused: |
This new level sounds much more like a "threshold bonus" than anything else.
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Originally Posted by rcherskov
(Post 12134319)
This new level sounds much more like a "threshold bonus" than anything else.
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Originally Posted by gator21
(Post 12134258)
Jeff,
Good news on the new level. I like some of the benefits. What didn't happen was the lowering of the lifetime PM to 3mm to align with AA, UA and others. Why wasn't this considered? |
Originally Posted by WBurcham
(Post 12134186)
As a current Diamond (at around 150K MQM's) I think I can speak for the majority of FlyerTalk members (at least based on conversations last night) and say I'm underwhelmed.
The only new benefits were ones that were removed from DL or NW Platinum members over the past 3 years or so. - Free SkyClub access used to be a DL Plat benefit until (I believe) 3 years ago. - 125% bonus mileage for Plat was a NW Plat benefit until 1/1/09 - 6 Systemwide Upgrade Cert's were a DL Plat benefit until this year The ONLY real change is the removal of ticketing fees for Gold/Plat/Diamond and, IMHO, doesn't distinguish Diamond very much. It sounds like you are twisting the two programs together to make a better argument. FIrst Free CRC access was around when qualification was 100k miles - NW never had it and when DL dropped PM qualification to 75k to match NW they dropped the free CRC access. Makes sense. 125% was on NW - not DL. Thing to remember is you are on DL now. They improved the SWU a lot in my opinion. So many times those BE seats go out with non-rev's in them at least we have a shot now. We also have an option if we never use them! As far as diamond goes - I'd imagine it would be worth it just to have the greater ability to get 100% upgrades. However some of the other new benefits are nice as well! |
Originally Posted by zman
(Post 12134333)
AA does not have a way of acheiveing lifetime Executive Plaitinum.
Anyone that flies over 100K would be insane not to look seriously at AA. Their awards are easier to get, free upgrades domestically, 8 SWU that are god on almost any fare. They also don't have some guy come onto FT and brag about how they have destroyed two elite programs in such a short time. Even though the carryover rule is a great paradigm, most elite members that are looking at DM would be at 1mm AAnyway miles with AA in a few years. At that point you are at least gold (lowest tier) with AA for life and would not need to worry about status miles, or elite line through security. |
Originally Posted by RealDLInsider
(Post 12134183)
Further to this, since 80% of Platinum Medallions today do not use the systemwide certificates that we send out, 4 out of 5 customers will actually opt to choose other benefits
Originally Posted by rcherskov
(Post 12134319)
This new level sounds much more like a "threshold bonus" than anything else.
Personally I find the rollover a big benefit, and I never could use PMU's before and I still can't use them (I can't justify a TATL M fare when I'm self employed, but I could justify HQK, so I would have spent more for those). With the rollover I'll probably shoot for a see-saw strategy- alternate years between PM and DM, so I can save $300 every other year on Skyclub membership. Not a giant benefit; if I didn't dislike UA so much I'd just stop at 75k each year and put the rest of my travel on UA to get mid tier there. (a lot of people will be doing that- this program could have kept them on DL, but its not strong enough). |
Originally Posted by jfulcher
(Post 12134359)
They improved the SWU a lot in my opinion. So many times those BE seats go out with non-rev's in them at least we have a shot now. We also have an option if we never use them! AA and CO have co-pay. You pay the extra fee it and only if you get the upgrade. |
Originally Posted by avidflyer
(Post 12134283)
That stings and I was thinking the same thing as I was reading the details. Even if I had re-upped my SC membership for next year already I would be PO'ed.
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Jeff- one DM benefit is the VIP line. Will you keep Chisholm and turn them into the VIP line? If so, that becomes a real bennie for the DM's.
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Maybe I'm just easy to please, but I am happy for what is being offered. I have never felt "entitled" to anything but a seat on the plane, so all the upgrades and perks and bonuses are much appreciated.
All the complainers in this forum are welcome to switch to another carrier- that'll just be less competition for upgrades for me! Yeah, an all-class PMU would have been nice, as I fly mostly Intl on my own dime, and rarely buy the M fare, unless its within a few hundred dollars of the cheapest available. But I like the idea of being ahead of Plats for upgrades, like the additional bonus miles (I haven't spent dollars on tickets for the family for a long time), and like the choices. And yes, I'm already diamond, and will be plat on Jan 1 with the rollover. I'm Plat on AA as well, but just don't enjoy the airline as much, and continue to steer more business to DL. So, kudos to Delta! |
Originally Posted by Gargoyle
(Post 12134455)
Jeff- one DM benefit is the VIP line. Will you keep Chisholm and turn them into the VIP line? If so, that becomes a real bennie for the DM's.
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